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[RalphH]

I’m using an Aquamarine inflatable I bought used off FB Marketplace for 400 bucks. Couldn’t be happier with how it portable it is. I can get into the lakes that don’t have a boat launch.

Lots of good feedback om Aquamarine over the years.

[Wiseguy]

Lots of good feedback om Aquamarine over the years.

Good to know!

[Roderick]

I have a 10' pelican sit-on-top kayak from crappy tire.  Weighs 30 pounds.  I can bring it out in the salt when there's not too much chop, and have never even come close to falling off.  The nice thing about a kayak it that they are fast, so if the wind comes up or if there's current you can paddle against it.  I can launch it from the shore anywhere (launching from a dock seems pretty sketchy and I haven't tried it). I do, however, get wet, both at launch and landing, and if there is any chop.  I wouldn't mind upgrading to one of those pedal drive kayaks, but they are fairly pricy. 


BTW there's a really cool video of a guy landing a marlin from his kayak on youtube somewhere.  Pretty intense. 

[SuperBobby]

I’m using an Aquamarine inflatable I bought used off FB Marketplace for 400 bucks. Couldn’t be happier with how portable it is. I can get into the lakes that don’t have a boat launch.

I looked at the website, and it seems even the smallest one is 90lbs. At that weight, I can do a no boat launch, but I can't carry it more than 100 feet....and certainly not down a hill....which would be very limiting for me.

I can launch it from the shore anywhere (launching from a dock seems pretty sketchy and I haven't tried it). I do, however, get wet, both at launch and landing, and if there is any chop. 

That is an issue unfortunately. Thanks for bringing that up. I want to stay dry as I lake fish well beyond and well before summer weather.


I hear that some guys are using the adapters for their leaf blowers to pump up their inflatables....apparently takes a minute or 2 at the most. Anyone doing that?

[pwn50m3 f15h3r]

I have a 10' pelican sit-on-top kayak from crappy tire.  Weighs 30 pounds.  I can bring it out in the salt when there's not too much chop, and have never even come close to falling off.  The nice thing about a kayak it that they are fast, so if the wind comes up or if there's current you can paddle against it.  I can launch it from the shore anywhere (launching from a dock seems pretty sketchy and I haven't tried it). I do, however, get wet, both at launch and landing, and if there is any chop.  I wouldn't mind upgrading to one of those pedal drive kayaks, but they are fairly pricy. 


BTW there's a really cool video of a guy landing a marlin from his kayak on youtube somewhere.  Pretty intense.

I own a pedal kayak (Old Town Sportsman 106PDL) and have fished it a lot for the past year and a bit, mostly saltwater. I’ve caught many rockfish, lingcod, salmon, and even 2 halibut from it. It’s stable enough to stand on in calm conditions (and if your balance is good) and fast enough to handle most tidal currents. That said, I don’t think it’s the best choice for fishing interior lakes for trout.

First of all, even if you get a larger model (12’), there isn’t all that much room to run 2 fly rods and a fish finder. Fly line tends to get caught in the pedal drive and other things. Also, running a double anchor setup is also because it’s hard to move around in the boat. I have run a drift anchor with reasonable success but it still can be a lot of work. I also find it difficult to troll for trout effectively. The slowest trolling speed I can easily maintain is about 2 km/h. Moving slower means putting more energy into keeping my legs up rather than just pedalling smoothly. Might just be a me thing though.

While I do think pedal kayaks (and fishing kayaks in general) are a great investment, I don’t think they’re the best option for OP’s use case.

[Stratocaster]

I had float tubes, u boats, kayaks and now I use a 14' Jon.  Just be aware that a fishing kayak, especially the pedal ones are super heavy.  I actually bought a loader system for it for the roof of my car and it still was a challenge for me to load.  Loved my Stealth pro when I owned it but was only good for smaller lakes and there was very limited storage space.  Costco has a sale on for Tobin's zodiac style inflatables.  They are 50 bucks cheaper in store.

https://www.costco.ca/tobin-sports-3.3-m-10.8-ft.-inflatable-boat.product.100798082.html

plenty of room for rod storage.  Can attach Scotty mounts using the glue on mount system. 

If you are concerned with the amount of time it takes to inflate it, people are now using portable leaf blowers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpmvhP-o4Y

[RalphH]

Just thought I'd put this up

Buck's Bag Sawtooth 8ft Pontoon. I thought they must be out of business but they are still in operational. All their products are made to order. I had a Buck's float tube. It was a great product.

On sale for $395 USD, need to add shipping if they ship to Canada or P.U. in a US border town. - should be great for any stillwater & the pontoons look rockered so ok for class 1 or 2 moving water at least.

https://bucksbags.com/product/sawtooth/

[salmonrook]

The fishing kayak is still in my mind, but I hear from others that they can be tipsy as well. I'm not as agile as I used to be.

 I have fished for years out of a rec kayak , never was a fan of the sit on top because I found them to be too cold when the wind kicks up. The rec one you sit inside , Just usually wear shorts and sandals , rarely cold .
 I have a 10 footer Prodigy  from Western Canoe/Kayak , its just a regular rec kayak , weighs 30 pounds and it goes on top of the truck pretty easy .Maybe the same experience as the float with out your legs in the water .
Its not tippy at all and I find I can still flycast ...
 You can add accessories to the outside , rod holder, etc.
Works for me